Today is the last day of the school year for Fayette County Public Schools. When it started off, I was hopeful that there would finally be progress in the district implementing a stronger wellness policy. Here’s what I wrote in August: I was glad to read that Dr. Shelton described his first year as … Continue reading
Remember this picture I posted in November of the Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library being used to market McDonald’s to kids? I’m pleased to report that yesterday I saw this at the Jefferson County Public Library in Evergreen, Colorado. No foolin’ Bravo to Jefferson County Public Library for supporting health instead of promoting fast food! Here are some close-ups: Continue reading
Researchers from Yale University have called on parents to take action on junk food marketing in schools. In an editorial published in JAMA Pediatrics they detailed how marketers have taken advantage of tight school budgets to turn places of learning into ads for soda, fast food, cookies and candy. Almost two-thirds of elementary schools provide food coupons as … Continue reading
“When do you praise large companies for their sustainability efforts? Is it appropriate to commend them for their steps, even if small?” Lindsay Dahl, who blogs about food and health, posed these questions to a roundtable of bloggers, including me.* I assert that the answer depends on another important question: Are the small steps taken … Continue reading
Michelle Obama rolled out a new campaign called “Drink Up.” There have been many good pieces written about why a campaign to drink more water is not enough. Marion Nestle CSPI The Atlantic Grist Huffington Post It reminded me of an interview I’d heard on the radio a few years back. The words from a representative of the American Beverage Association … Continue reading
Once again, WalMart published an ad with a junk food shopping list in our local paper (click on the photo to enlarge). While this shopper is posed in the produce aisle for the photo, there is not a single fresh fruit or vegetable on the list. As with the previous two WalMart grocery ads, this … Continue reading
When my oldest was in first grade she came home from school one day lamenting, “Everyone’s a fan of Hannah Montana but me.” We didn’t (and still don’t) have cable TV so she had never seen the show. That afternoon I watched some clips of it on YouTube and thought it seemed more like a teen soap opera than something a 6-year-old … Continue reading
